Ad Astra Per Aspera
by Dynast-Kid
Summary: While journeying in Giruvegan, Vaan and co. stop to rest. But during the night, Vaan and Penelo are visited by a mysterious entity who guides them into the midst of a struggle of cosmic proportions! Rated T for violence, and the occasional adult theme.
1. Prologue: The Whispering Wind

As the moon made its slow rise to the middle of the night time sky, a rush of cool wind blew through the halls of Giruvegan. The crystal clear floors of the city made a gentle whistle as the wind flew from the surface of the earth and sped downwards towards the Great Crystal. The Great Crystal, a mammoth hunk of nethicite that stood watch over its Holy Realm, its shining exterior harboring things much darker. The breeze flew with so much force; it triggered the green glyph walkways that spiraled down the height of the ancient city.

"Let us set camp." said Fran to her companions, each weary of fighting Behemoths and Gargoyle Barons. Fran had barely turned when she saw her allies slump to the floors of the Haalmikah Water Steps, a small haven free of monsters, and the location of a royal blue Save Crystal. Penelo trembled as a gust of wind whisked past her, heading in the direction of the Great Crystal.

"Are you guys sure it was such a great idea to try and hunt this Omega Mark thingy?" Penelo inquired, a look of exhausted curiosity painted across her face.

"C'mon Penelo, once we defeat it, we'll know that we six are the toughest in Ivalice!" Vaan exclaimed, his face speckled with the dust of this ancient metropolis. Penelo grinned at his statement.

"We shall resume our quest once the sun rises." Fran murmured, though all ears heard her. She looked to her left to see Balthier and Basch, both sprawled to the floor in a deep sleep. Ashe sat a ways from her company, polishing the face of her ebony Demon Shield. Fran then slowly kneeled to the floor, and leaned against the wall, she as tired as the others. She soon drifted off to sleep, as did Ashe, leaving only Vaan and Penelo awake. The two vigilant teens whispered slowly to themselves, allowing their friends a well deserved night of rest. Vaan and Penelo chuckled as they reminisced on their days back in Rabanastre, and on other amusements of the past. Then suddenly, the same ominous wind whipped through the room, its cool tendrils caressing the cheeks of the teenage duo.

"Penelo, is it me, or did it get colder in here?" Vaan asked Penelo. She looked at him and gently nodded her head. The pair then huddled up next to each other, hoping to find some warmth in each other. Suddenly, Penelo and Vaan both became light-headed as voiceless words entered their heads…

"Young hume children. The twelve eidolons of darkness that lie dormant in the pit of your party's soul have been beseeched. This revenant gale has been sent to guide you 'cross this realm towards a blest district of this the Great Crystal. You must escort your four partisans as well, for this happening mustn't have record of absence on your company's part. Depart at the first light of morn into the depths of the Great Crystal. There, will await a dais that will deliver you to your terminus…"

As the words faded from their minds, the two looked at each other, each aware of the other's strange and identical vision.

"Vaan did you…"

"Yeah Penelo, I heard it too."

"So do you think we should?"

"We have to Penelo. Whatever that thing wants us to do could help us in the end."

"Okay…So in the morning, we have to get everyone up and into that Great Crystal. Do ya think they'll believe a weird spirit talked to us?"

"_Probably_ not…"

And with that, the two teenagers gently toppled to the floor, the thoughts of this strange message coursing through their drowsy heads. In the morning, they would take their friends to commune with their ethereal messenger.

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Did ya like it!? Aren't you just aching for more!? Then stay tuned for the continuation of this thrilling story!xD It's gonna be action-packed just to let ya know! And there's gonna be alot of chapters! But they're gonna be so amazing! Your head will probably explode after reading the awesomeness that is Ad Astra Per Aspera! Buckle your seatbelts kiddies!

Comment plz!


	2. The Serpent and the Temple

OMG! I forgot to add disclaimers and all that jazz. Well actually, I don't think they're all that neccessary, because if I _**did**_ own Final Fnatasy XII and all related content, I surely wouldn't be writing fan fiction for it!xD

Enjoy this new chapter! It's quite captivating...

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"Vaan, get up!" Vann heard echo in his ears as he woke up from a night of well earned rest. He opened his eyes to the sight of Penelo looking disheveled, and the others looking suspicious and confused.

"Vaan, they don't believe me! They don't believe that…thing spoke to us! Tell them it did Vaan; tell 'em!" Penelo shouted. Vaan looked up at her, not yet fully awake. He stood up, stretched and yawned, his mouth stretching abnormally wide.

"So, Vaan, is it true that a…what was it? A ghost? Well, whatever it was, did it really talk to you? Penelo's not very convincing…" Balthier asked sarcastically as Penelo gave him a cold look. Vaan shook his head.

"It's true. We were talking and then it was like some…some spirit was talking to us. It told us to take you guys into the Great Crystal where a…dais, whatever that is, will take us to our…terminus, whatever that is…" Vaan groggily answered. He rubbed his eyes and took a quick glance of his companions. Penelo was nodding frantically. Balthier had a tiny, skeptical smirk on his face. Fran looked stoic, but was obviously analyzing Vaan's testimony, probably to provide some ancient myth mumbo-jumbo. Basch looked as tired as Vaan, and had an expression of utter disinterest. Ashe stood alone farther from the group, seemingly lost in her own thoughts.

"So this…voice told you to take us to the Great Crystal where a dais, that means platform, will take us to our destination, correct?" Fran asked. Vaan and Penelo nodded their heads simultaneously.

"Well I say we should investigate. This spirit may provide us with something of interest, something that could assist us in the rest of our quest." Fran muttered as Balthier gave a look of disbelief. Had she really agreed with the little ones?

"Can we just get on with it," Ashe interjected, a look of impatience scrawled across her face, "the more time we spend idling around is less time spent saving Ivalice!" The others stepped back. Why did Ashe have to be so snappy during the mornings?

"Whatever your majesty says…" Balthier cooed to Ashe, almost mockingly. She shot him daggers. He cracked a devilish grin.

"The princess is right. We should make haste." Basch groaned as he stepped towards the exit that lead into the area known as the Gate of Fire. Everyone took heed and filed out behind him. After fighting through a small wave of Vivians and using the Way Stone, they arrived in the Great Crystal. No matter how many times they came to this place, Vaan never ceased to be awed by the shimmering walls of this mammoth hunk of champagne-hued gem.

"So, where is this dais thing that leads to our friend the disembodied friend?" Balthier asked sarcastically while loading his Fomalhaut with more Stone Shots. His companions looked in all directions. Where could it be? Then, almost as if cued, the same ominous wing wisped past the group, wrapping its cool tendrils across the nape of Vaan's neck and one of Penelo's cheeks. They both quivered.

"I believe that platform to the left is what we're searching for." Basch said as he pointed off to the far left of their current platform. Sure enough, there floated a strange, almost translucent, platform; a turquoise glyph glowing eerily in the center. The group approached.

"Ladies first…" Balthier murmured as his companions (Ashe at the head, of course) filed onto the ghostly construct. After a moment of ominous silence, the sides of the platform shot forth beams of violet light and the platform slowly made its way up towards the upper levels of the Great Crystal. The platform made a sweet whistling sound as it rose, each party member entranced by the strange melody. After what seemed like days, the platform finally made its stop at the edge of a grand levitating platform, reminiscent of a balcony you'd find in the palace of a king. The six companions made their way off of the ethereal elevator, which seemed to vanish as soon as Balthier took the last step onto the new platform.

"This is what I call high art…" Balthier exhaled as he admired the delicately carved pillars of the platform. He paced over to another column and fondled a large sapphire that was transfixed into the rock. He'd never seen a sapphire that blue before. Balthier then ran his fingertips across the lavender marble walls of the platform, taking in each groove and jag. Balthier then trotted to the center of the room, attempting to inhale all the beauty of this place. The precious gems that adorned the pillars. The colorful stone that made up the voissoirs of the arched doorway. The crystal floor that shimmered like the purest stream.

"This isn't just a platform…It's a temple…" Fran said aloud. Everyone turned to her. She seemed to have stumbled upon a large tablet intricately covered in ancient Galtean calligraphy. Fran ran her fingers over the writing:

"Welcome to this blest place, wielders of nethicite. You've been summoned forth to this great edified place to serve in a sacred ritual. Long ago, millennia before the Dynast-King Raithwall, we Occuria created a set of twelve progeny, the scions of light. They were to be as our servants and assist in governing our Ivalice. Yet, they lacked the true aspects of what we Occurians originally intended. To compensate our first set of creations, we created a second pair, each scion of light having an opposite and corresponding scion of darkness. Blest with great strength and intellect, the scions of darkness, known to you as the Espers, were to serve as even greater attendants than the scions of light. But soon, ill thoughts corrupted their minds, and the scions of darkness, led by the fair Ultima, rebelled against us. The Espers put up an excellent assault, but were ultimately defeated and sealed within glyphs. But every millennia or so, the Espers will seek penance for they're misdeeds, and to prove their worth, they pit themselves against each other to see which is the strongest, and which shall be one step closer to reunion with their former post in the Holy Realm." Fran recited.

"The Occuria!?" Ashe shouts, her voice echoing off of the marble walls. Fran gives Basch a concerned look. They both know what each other was thinking. Could this be another trick of the Occuria? If this fight was between the Espers, why was Ashe and co. needed?

"But Reddas already destroyed the Sun-Cryst! Why do the Occuria want us now?" Penelo exclaimed.

"I don't know, but could that thing have something to do with it!?" Vaan shouted as he pointed behind Penelo. All six of the adventurers turned to a frightening sight. They had just layed their eyes upom a six-winged serpent hovering eerily just a few yards away. Could it be one of the Espers? Everyone stood still as the vermilion snake hissed and flapped its wings, making a ghostly jingling noise that rebounded off of every wall and column. It soon fluttered off into the other direction, disappearing into the corridors of this temple, beckoning Ashe and the others to follow.

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Pretty interesting, huh? What could those Occurians be up to? What is it with these Espers fighting?

I know you're all dying to know, but you'll have to wait until the next chapter!P You're all probably dying for some of that thrilling action I promised, but I have to flesh out the plot first, guys! And if you've played the game, you can tell this takes place in between Ridorana and the Sky Fortress Bahamut. You can also deduct that the party hasn't gotten Zodiark yet (cause i haven't in real life...).

I feel like Basch is getting neglected...I gotta try to include him more. And why am I making Ashe look like a beeyotch!? Haha...I really do like her though, I just think she'd be kind of a jerk! El Oh El...

Please Review! It helps my ego, and makes me wanna write more!


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